Chapter 5: THE CURRICULUM

65) What about groups that meet
on A Course in Miracles?

Let us begin with the statement that
there is absolutely nothing in A Course in Miracles about groups,
meeting with other people, or joining together on the level of form, etc.
The significance of this is that it illustrates how the process of studying
the Course occurs on the level of the mind, and is in truth a self-study
course, Its emphasis is always on joining with Jesus or the Holy Spirit,
in
the mind, and asking Their help to perceive differently a seemingly
external relationship, or any situation for that matter. This is the meaning
of forgiveness. Our experience of being in a body, interacting with
other bodies, becomes the classroom in which we ask our Teacher to help
us change our minds. The only joining
then that is truly meaningful is with Jesus or the Holy Spirit, and that
should
always and only be the Course student's focus, what in the
text is referred to as "The Greater Joining" (T-28.IV). Since, as is stated
in the section with that title, the Holy Spirit is in all the minds of
the separated Sons, by joining with Him -- which, again, is the true meaning
of forgiveness -- one has already joined with everyone. The actual
words from the text are:

The Holy Spirit is in both
your minds [you and your brother], and He is One because there is no gap
that separates His Oneness from Itself. The gap between your bodies matters
not, for what is joined in Him is always one (T-28.IV.7:1-2).

Thus it is irrelevant for the purposes
of forgiveness that there be or not be a "gap between bodies." We are already
joined. Forgiveness undoes the seeming gap that exists between our
minds, and returns to our awareness the fact of our oneness with each other
and with our Source.

All too often students of A Course
in Miracles forget this greater joining, and because of the good feeling
that so often comes from externally being with others, they feel that this
is what Jesus is talking about when he discusses joining. In truth, however,
his focus is always on the removal of the barriers of specialness
that we have placed between ourselves and others. And these barriers are
always thoughts within our wrong minds, as the Holy Spirit is a Thought
within our right minds. And so our attention should always be placed on
bringing the ego's thoughts of specialness to the Holy Spirit's thoughts
of forgiveness -- once again, within the mind. Only then can we be sure
that our external joining with others is truly of Him and not the ego.

Certainly, there can nothing wrong with
any student of A Course in Miracles joining externally with other
students. However, the focus of Course students cannot be behavior, but
always the inner teacher whom we choose to guide our behavior. Therefore,
the bottom line is to try as best as possible to have our actions -- whether
they involve studying the Course, or anything else -- originate in the
sincere attempt to bring our ego involvement to Jesus
before engaging
in the activity.

If students feel led to be a part of
some sort of Course group or organization, they should always be vigilant
that such involvement does not become a substitute for their own individual
work -- study and practice -- with the material itself. Otherwise, they
will easily fall into the lap of specialness, which can be defined, as
we saw earlier, as using anything as a substitute for the Love of God.
To make our opening point again, there is a reason for Jesus saying nothing
at all in the Course about joining together in groups. And students should
always be mindful of his sole emphasis in A Course in Miracles,
which is on the individual student's relationship with the Holy Spirit,
based upon the willingness to practice forgiveness.

Reproduced with the kind permission of Gloria and
Kenneth
Wapnick and the Foundation for A Course in Miracles